Van ECK Associates Corp Reduces Position in Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL)

Van ECK Associates Corp cut its holdings in shares of Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL) by 10.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 49,141,322 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after selling 5,538,729 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp owned about 0.08% of Hecla Mining worth $241,283,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Blue Trust Inc. boosted its holdings in Hecla Mining by 30.7% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 8,351 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $41,000 after purchasing an additional 1,961 shares during the last quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management lifted its holdings in Hecla Mining by 1.0% in the third quarter. Hollencrest Capital Management now owns 248,727 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $1,659,000 after acquiring an additional 2,367 shares during the last quarter. KBC Group NV grew its position in Hecla Mining by 19.2% in the third quarter. KBC Group NV now owns 18,075 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $121,000 after acquiring an additional 2,909 shares during the period. MML Investors Services LLC grew its position in Hecla Mining by 28.6% in the third quarter. MML Investors Services LLC now owns 13,229 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $88,000 after acquiring an additional 2,944 shares during the period. Finally, Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC increased its stake in Hecla Mining by 21.7% during the third quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 16,714 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $111,000 after acquiring an additional 2,982 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 63.01% of the company’s stock.

Hecla Mining Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:HL opened at $6.28 on Thursday. Hecla Mining has a one year low of $3.33 and a one year high of $7.68. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $5.43 and a 200-day simple moving average of $5.85. The company has a quick ratio of 0.54, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

HL has been the subject of several research analyst reports. National Bank Financial lowered shares of Hecla Mining from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, November 8th. TD Securities dropped their target price on shares of Hecla Mining from $8.50 to $8.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, November 8th. Finally, StockNews.com cut Hecla Mining from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Thursday, October 17th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $7.94.

About Hecla Mining

Hecla Mining Company, together with its subsidiaries, provides precious and base metal properties in the United States, Canada, Japan, Korea, and China. The company mines for silver, gold, lead, and zinc concentrates, as well as carbon material containing silver and gold for custom smelters, metal traders, and third-party processors; and doré containing silver and gold.